Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 July 1910 — MT.AYR SUFFERS $4,000 FIRE LOSS [ARTICLE]

MT.AYR SUFFERS $4,000 FIRE LOSS

1.0.0. F. Building and Corbin Barn Burned Sunday Night. PARR AND WHEATFIELD ALSO Suffer Fire Losses of About sl,500 and SSOO, Respectively— Vick Comer’s Store Burns at Parr and Three Barns Destroyed at Wheatfield.—No Fire Protection at Either Town.

Mt. Ayr suffered a $4,000 fire last Sunday night, the story of which, in the Pilot, follows: Sunday at or near the midnight hour, when all nature beamed forth under the radiant rays of the beautiful moon, and the human family was snugly ensconced in the arms of Morpheus, except one or two Viilians, the quietude of our little village was aroused by the cry of “Fire! Fire!” and as in the twinkling of an eye, the whole populace was on the ground, to behold the demon that had been turned loose by some person or persons, whom the inner circles of hell are not hot enough for, and the whipping post far too tame for him or them.

The first building started, if possible, is believed by all, to be the Corbin "barn. This building was occupied by veterinary Rice, as a horse barn and garage. Fortunately he !had no horses stabled therein that night, but his auto was there and was destroyed. Said auto was as good as new, having been in use btit a few weeks. Together with tfhe machine he lost all of his surgical instruments, some hay and grain. He estimates his loss in the neigbbotfhood of SBQO. He stated to the Pilot that he would go to Chicago and get new instruments. In rescuing some of his dogs that. were in the barn, he was considerably scordhed, and remarked to us, if tbe viilians were after him, they would have another opportunity. He carried no insurance. ■

The Odd Fellows building, a two story frame, the lower floor being occupied by George Lynch, with a restaurant and bakery. He (had a nice clean up-to-date stock of staple and fancy groceries, and Was building up an enviable business. His stock and fixtures would invoice in the neighborhood of SI,BOO. He was insured for S3OO in the Phoemx of Brooklyn. The upper story was usfed by the Odd Fellows as a lodge room and owned the building. They lost all their paraphernalia as well as the building. They carried an insurance of SSOO. Mt. Ayr has one of the best organized bucket brigades to be found in the state, and only for their heroic, work, the whole town would have been in ashes on the dawn of morn. At one time the safety of the town depended on preventing the Hufty and Stucker buildings from flaming up. At these places was displayed tire heroism of the brigade—-by the way some of our ladies proved themselves entitled to honorable membership. The intense heat broke every pane of glass in the Hufty store and cracked those in the Stucker building.

Wheatfield last Friday aftfernoon three bams were burned, one of w hich belonged to Robt. Man nan and one to S. W. Hamilton, entailing a loss of several hundred dollars, about half ot which was covered by insurance, the flames from spreading to It is supposed the fire was started by children playing with matches. It required hard yvork by the “bucket brigade” to keep nearby houses. It is thought that arson was committed at Parr Tuesday night when A 1 McCurtain’s store building containing a stock of grocery goods belonging to D. V. Comer, burned. The fire destroyed the

entire stock of goods and the building. Mr. MeCurtain of Hanging Grove tp„ had S7OO insurance on the building and Mr. Comer carried S4OO on the grocery stock. It was reported that efforts were made to get bloodhounds from Lafayette to trv to locate the thought-to-be criminals, but for some reason they were unable to get them on the scene. Comer’s loss is said to be about S4OO above the insurance.